2_Indianapolis Colts1

Pittsburgh Steelers Gameday HQ

AFC SOUTH
INDIANAPOLIS
2014 STRENGTHS:
• Deadly passing attack led by excellent
quarterback play with strong receiving corps
Colts Offense
With Andrew Luck at the helm, the Indianapolis Colts
continue to know nothing less than fantastic quarterback-play.
With Luck leading the way, the Colts have a legitimate shot to
win each and every game. While not throwing for nearly as
many yards as in his inaugural season, the former first-rounder
decreased his interceptions by half from 18 to nine in 2013. Not
surprisingly, his quarterback rating increased to 87.0.
With a receiver group that includes future Hall-of-Famer
Reggie Wayne, newcomer Hakeem Nicks and T.Y. Hilton, who is
progressing into one of the better pass-catchers in the league, the
Colts boast one of the top units in the NFL.
Wayne is coming back from a season-ending ACL tear that
leaves questions hanging over his ability to return to pre-injury
form. Although he was injured in Week 7, his numbers were
outstanding as he was Luck’s go-to target. He pulled in 38 passes
while gaining 503 receiving yards, numbers that would project
close to his career norms for a season.
Hilton was the man that took over the number one slot
for Wayne in the Colts offense and he didn’t disappoint. He
showed tremendous improvement over the first two years of
his career and has garnered more trust from Luck because of it.
2014 WEAKNESSES:
• Weak running attack, Defensive line and
defensive backfield
COLTS
The Florida International product was targeted 47 more times in
2013 than in 2012.
As insurance for Wayne, the team bolstered their offense
with the addition of Nicks from the New York Giants. After
struggling with injuries over the past few seasons, the Colts are
hoping that he is fully recovered and looking for him to bounce
back to 2011 form.
The one position that could really put this offense over the
top is improved play from the running backs. Last year, the team
relied on Donald Brown, now with the Chargers, and in-season
acquisition Trent Richardson, who is looking to return to the
form that made him a first-round pick. This year, the onus will
be on Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw, who is returning from
neck surgery. This group will determine how much pressure
opposing defenses will put on Luck with their success in
the ground game.
Offensive Player to Watch
The offense, and the Colts for that matter, will only go as
far as Luck’s arm will take them. With a group of receivers
as potent as any in the league and hopefully an improved
running attack, the Stanford product will have to prove that he
belongs in the conversation with the likes of Brady, Manning,
Rodgers and Brees.
The next step in Luck’s evolution will be to improve his play
in the postseason. While only throwing nine interceptions
over the duration of the regular season, he threw seven in two
postseason games, ultimately falling to the Patriots. Luck’s play
will determine the Colts’ season.
Colts Defense
For the first four weeks of the season, the defensive front
will have to live without pass-rushing specialist Robert Mathis
and his 19.5 sacks from 2013 as he serves a suspension for
testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. While it
will be nearly impossible to reproduce his performance, the
team will rely heavily on an import from the Baltimore Ravens,
defensive end Arthur Jones, and D’Qwell Jackson for veteran
leadership on the defensive side of the ball. Jackson makes his
Andrew Luck
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